Buyer

Quaker Valley Foods, Inc.; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Quaker Valley Foods, Inc. in Philadelphia, PA, is seeking a Purchasing professional to source and procure products from domestic and international suppliers.

You will build supplier relationships, negotiate pricing, and manage service terms to support customer demand and inventory requirements. The role requires 3–5 years of purchasing experience, strong negotiation and analytical skills, and proficiency in Excel.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of purchasing, procurement and/or inventory management.
• Strong negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.
• Experience managing inventory and purchasing activities.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel knowledge.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Source and procure products from domestic and international suppliers to support customer demand and inventory requirements.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
• Negotiate product pricing, payment terms, freight arrangements, and service agreements.
• Evaluate supplier performance related to quality, pricing, service, and fill rates.
• Identify and qualify new supplier and product opportunities.
• Review supplier allocations, shortages, and service issues while communicating impacts internally.
• Manage inventory levels to maintain product availability while controlling inventory costs.
• Monitor inventory turns, aging inventory, and slow-moving items.
• Establish reorder points, safety stock levels, and inventory targets.
• Collaborate with warehouse and inventory control teams to improve inventory accuracy.
• Work proactively to reduce stockouts, overstocks, and product waste.
• Monitor industry trends, commodity markets, supplier pricing, and market conditions impacting product cost and availability.
• Research and analyze market intelligence to support purchasing decisions.
• Identify opportunities to purchase strategically based on market conditions and demand forecasts.
• Communicate market trends and pricing changes to management and sales teams.
• Maintain accurate product costs within company systems.
• Review supplier price changes and update customer pricing as necessary.
• Support company margin objectives through effective purchasing decisions.
• Analyze product profitability and identify opportunities for margin improvement.
• Provide cost and market information to support sales initiatives and customer quoting.
• Create and maintain accurate purchase orders.
• Review open purchase orders and follow up on overdue shipments.
• Obtain shipping confirmations, proof of delivery, and supplier status updates.
• Coordinate with suppliers to ensure orders are shipped and delivered as scheduled.
• Maintain records of purchases, shipments, supplier communications, and related documentation.
• Work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Warehouse Operations, Transportation, and Finance departments.
• Communicate order status, product availability, shortages, and supplier updates.
• Assist with customer returns, credits, substitutions, and supplier-related issues.
• Support marketing programs, promotions, and special buying opportunities.
• Partner with Accounts Payable to resolve invoice and pricing discrepancies.
• Generate and review purchasing, inventory, pricing, and supplier performance reports.
• Maintain accurate product costs and purchasing records.
• Track procurement metrics including inventory levels, fill rates, service levels, and margin performance.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and inventory planning activities.
• Perform special projects and additional duties as assigned.

Job description

Description

Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Source and procure products from domestic and international suppliers to support customer demand and inventory requirements
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
• Negotiate product pricing, payment terms, freight arrangements, and service agreements.
• Evaluate supplier performance related to quality, pricing, service, and fill rates.
• Identify and qualify new supplier and product opportunities.
• Review supplier allocations, shortages, and service issues while communicating impacts internally.

Inventory Management

• Manage inventory levels to maintain product availability while controlling inventory costs.
• Monitor inventory turns, aging inventory, and slow-moving items.
• Establish reorder points, safety stock levels, and inventory targets.
• Collaborate with warehouse and inventory control teams to improve inventory accuracy.
• Work proactively to reduce stockouts, overstocks, and product waste.

Market Analysis & Commodity Monitoring

• Monitor industry trends, commodity markets, supplier pricing, and market conditions impacting product cost and availability.
• Research and analyze market intelligence to support purchasing decisions.
• Identify opportunities to purchase strategically based on market conditions and demand forecasts.
• Communicate market trends and pricing changes to management and sales teams.

Pricing & Margin Management

• Maintain accurate product costs within company systems.
• Review supplier price changes and update customer pricing as necessary.
• Support company margin objectives through effective purchasing decisions.
• Analyze product profitability and identify opportunities for margin improvement.
• Provide cost and market information to support sales initiatives and customer quoting.

Purchase Order & Order Management

• Create and maintain accurate purchase orders.
• Review open purchase orders and follow up on overdue shipments.
• Obtain shipping confirmations, proof of delivery, and supplier status updates.
• Coordinate with suppliers to ensure orders are shipped and delivered as scheduled.
• Maintain records of purchases, shipments, supplier communications, and related documentation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales, Customer Service, Warehouse Operations, Transportation, and Finance departments.
• Communicate order status, product availability, shortages, and supplier updates.
• Assist with customer returns, credits, substitutions, and supplier-related issues.
• Support marketing programs, promotions, and special buying opportunities.
• Partner with Accounts Payable to resolve invoice and pricing discrepancies.

Reporting & Administration

• Generate and review purchasing, inventory, pricing, and supplier performance reports.
• Maintain accurate product costs and purchasing records.
• Track procurement metrics including inventory levels, fill rates, service levels, and margin performance.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and inventory planning activities.
• Perform special projects and additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of purchasing, procurement and/or inventory management.
• Strong negotiation and supplier relationship management skills.
• Experience managing inventory and purchasing activities.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel knowledge.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred

• Experience in foodservice, wholesale food distribution, grocery, meat/protein, or related industries.
• Knowledge of commodity markets and food industry pricing trends.
• Experience with ERP, inventory management, and purchasing systems.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Agriculture, Food Science, or related field.
• Professional purchasing or supply chain certifications are a plus.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Sourcing
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Negotiation
• Inventory Planning & Control
• Market & Commodity Analysis
• Pricing & Margin Management
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Attention to Detail
• Problem Solving
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Time Management
• Decision Making

Working Conditions

• Primarily office environment.
• Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods.
• Occasionally move throughout warehouse and office locations.
• Occasional travel to supplier facilities, trade events, or industry meetings as needed.
• May require occasional evening or weekend work based on business needs.